Below is a report that summarizes forest fires in the United States from 1900-2021. Two different data sets were analyzed - U.S. Fire Origins (source) and U.S. Fire Perimeters (source). Over this time period, key insights included the following. The most common statistical cause of forest fires in the U.S. was lightning. The greatest number of fires occurred in 2017. Most fires originated in California. The maximum total acreage a forest fire spanned was 3,611,520 acres, while the most common fire size classification was level A, which corresponds to .00-0.25 acres. Additionally, this report includes three different visualizations that break down each of these parameters specifically.
| state name | county most fires | common fire size | common causes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | NA | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 5 - Debris Burning |
| AK - ALASKA | Kenai Peninsula | A - .00-.25 Acres | 4 - Campfire |
| AL - ALABAMA | Winston | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 7 - Arson |
| AR - ARKANSAS | Montgomery | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 7 - Arson |
| AZ - ARIZONA | Coconino | A - .00-.25 Acres | 1 - Lightning |
| CA - CALIFORNIA | Los Angeles | A - .00-.25 Acres | 1 - Lightning |
| CO - COLORADO | Archuleta | A - .00-.25 Acres | 1 - Lightning |
| FL - FLORIDA | Marion | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 1 - Lightning |
| GA - GEORGIA | Rabun | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 7 - Arson |
| ID - IDAHO | Idaho | A - .00-.25 Acres | 1 - Lightning |
| IL - ILLINOIS | Pope | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 5 - Debris Burning |
| IN - INDIANA | Perry | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 5 - Debris Burning |
| KS - KANSAS | Morton | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 1 - Lightning |
| KY - KENTUCKY | McCreary | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 7 - Arson |
| LA - LOUISIANA | Vernon | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 7 - Arson |
| ME - MAINE | Oxford | A - .00-.25 Acres | 9 - Miscellaneous |
| MI - MICHIGAN | Newaygo | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 5 - Debris Burning |
| MN - MINNESOTA | Cass | A - .00-.25 Acres | 5 - Debris Burning |
| MO - MISSOURI | Shannon | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 7 - Arson |
| MS - MISSISSIPPI | Perry | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 7 - Arson |
| MT - MONTANA | Lincoln | A - .00-.25 Acres | 1 - Lightning |
| NC - NORTH CAROLINA | Cherokee | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 7 - Arson |
| ND - NORTH DAKOTA | Billings | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 1 - Lightning |
| NE - NEBRASKA | Dawes | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 1 - Lightning |
| NH - NEW HAMPSHIRE | Grafton | A - .00-.25 Acres | 4 - Campfire |
| NM - NEW MEXICO | Catron | A - .00-.25 Acres | 1 - Lightning |
| NV - NEVADA | Clark | A - .00-.25 Acres | 1 - Lightning |
| NY - NEW YORK | Schuyler | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 4 - Campfire |
| OH - OHIO | Lawrence | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 7 - Arson |
| OK - OKLAHOMA | Le Flore | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 7 - Arson |
| OR - OREGON | Deschutes | A - .00-.25 Acres | 1 - Lightning |
| PA - PENNSYLVANIA | Warren | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 9 - Miscellaneous |
| SC - SOUTH CAROLINA | Berkeley | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 7 - Arson |
| SD - SOUTH DAKOTA | Pennington | A - .00-.25 Acres | 1 - Lightning |
| TN - TENNESSEE | Monroe | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 7 - Arson |
| TX - TEXAS | Sabine | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 7 - Arson |
| UT - UTAH | Garfield | A - .00-.25 Acres | 1 - Lightning |
| VA - VIRGINIA | Augusta | B - .26-9.99 Acres | 7 - Arson |
| VT - VERMONT | Bennington | A - .00-.25 Acres | 4 - Campfire |
| WA - WASHINGTON | Okanogan | A - .00-.25 Acres | 1 - Lightning |
| WI - WISCONSIN | Forest | A - .00-.25 Acres | 9 - Miscellaneous |
| WV - WEST VIRGINIA | Pocahontas | A - .00-.25 Acres | 9 - Miscellaneous |
| WY - WYOMING | Teton | A - .00-.25 Acres | 1 - Lightning |
| ### Table 2 - U.S. Fir | e Perimeters Summary |
| fire year | max total acres | common causes |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 36023.63 | 9 |
| 1 | 0.00 | 0 |
| 780 | 9302.33 | 0 |
| 1000 | 30391.56 | 0 |
| 1001 | 13281.60 | 0 |
| 1070 | 2341.96 | 0 |
| 1100 | 3611519.86 | 0 |
| 1200 | 3648.70 | 0 |
| 1250 | 378351.98 | 0 |
| 1280 | 630.42 | 0 |
| 1308 | 1638847.95 | 0 |
| 1430 | 36569.36 | 0 |
| 1442 | 19342.58 | 0 |
| 1508 | 1244855.78 | 0 |
| 1571 | 80888.26 | 0 |
| 1668 | 179900.52 | 0 |
| 1680 | 8408.77 | 0 |
| 1699 | 2553.73 | 0 |
| 1701 | 1146276.06 | 0 |
| 1748 | 1421.93 | 0 |
| 1750 | 29297.04 | 0 |
| 1783 | 755.77 | 0 |
| 1800 | 68094.96 | 1 |
| 1801 | 4690.35 | 0 |
| 1807 | 46.19 | 0 |
| 1810 | 201.02 | 0 |
| 1824 | 504.08 | 0 |
| 1830 | 1961.80 | 0 |
| 1832 | 5.53 | 0 |
| 1834 | 124473.57 | 0 |
| 1838 | 2456.30 | 0 |
| 1840 | 4837.91 | 0 |
| 1850 | 83887.00 | 0 |
| 1854 | 35.04 | 0 |
| 1856 | 6373.86 | 0 |
| 1860 | 3937.06 | 0 |
| 1864 | 54851.95 | 0 |
| 1865 | 196.39 | 0 |
| 1867 | 300.07 | 0 |
| 1870 | 22283.00 | 1 |
| 1873 | 157.47 | 0 |
| 1874 | 4611.25 | 0 |
| 1878 | 39163.00 | 9 |
| 1880 | 19789.71 | 0 |
| 1885 | 11423.00 | NA |
| 1886 | 421.03 | NA |
| 1888 | 7585.99 | NA |
| 1889 | 217032.00 | 1 |
| 1890 | 34099.00 | 0 |
| 1891 | 62734.65 | 0 |
| 1892 | 2640.00 | NA |
| 1893 | 28622.64 | 1 |
| 1894 | 2731.28 | NA |
| 1895 | 73259.98 | 0 |
| 1896 | 17414.49 | 0 |
| 1897 | 849.76 | 0 |
| 1898 | 24803.00 | 0 |
| 1899 | 19159.00 | 0 |
| 1900 | 16242.00 | 0 |
| 1901 | -Inf | 1 |
| 1902 | 204176.00 | 0 |
| 1903 | 64084.00 | 9 |
| 1905 | -Inf | 9 |
| 1906 | 4489.47 | 0 |
| 1907 | 8761.31 | 9 |
| 1908 | 8175.00 | 9 |
| 1909 | 32867.00 | 9 |
| 1910 | 868834.00 | 0 |
| 1911 | 1945.00 | 9 |
| 1912 | 1304.76 | 9 |
| 1913 | 4611.08 | 9 |
| 1914 | 19820.00 | 9 |
| 1915 | 11910.00 | 9 |
| 1916 | 6328.45 | 9 |
| 1917 | 9187.95 | 9 |
| 1918 | 8960.00 | 9 |
| 1919 | 739225.00 | 9 |
| 1920 | 28521.85 | 9 |
| 1921 | 18300.00 | 9 |
| 1922 | 7183.00 | 9 |
| 1923 | 2874.53 | 9 |
| 1924 | 24816.33 | 9 |
| 1925 | 11328.83 | 9 |
| 1926 | 119901.08 | 9 |
| 1927 | 1384.16 | 9 |
| 1928 | 17454.00 | 9 |
| 1929 | 148310.00 | 9 |
| 1930 | 18122.03 | 9 |
| 1931 | 51716.10 | 9 |
| 1932 | 3856.00 | 9 |
| 1933 | 4922.00 | 9 |
| 1934 | 123856.00 | 9 |
| 1935 | 13918.00 | 9 |
| 1936 | 7762.00 | 9 |
| 1937 | 1254.00 | 9 |
| 1938 | 7654.00 | 9 |
| 1939 | 31100.57 | 9 |
| 1940 | 3686.41 | 9 |
| 1941 | 5415.00 | 9 |
| 1942 | 9867.01 | 9 |
| 1943 | 9780.00 | 9 |
| 1944 | 1593.50 | 9 |
| 1945 | 7246.25 | 9 |
| 1946 | 3321.90 | 9 |
| 1947 | 1578.00 | 9 |
| 1948 | 755.00 | 9 |
| 1949 | 10948.00 | 9 |
| 1950 | 1496.87 | 9 |
| 1951 | 41000.00 | 9 |
| 1952 | 3344.47 | 9 |
| 1953 | 6664.00 | 9 |
| 1954 | 1056.90 | 9 |
| 1955 | 5021.70 | 9 |
| 1956 | 14640.00 | 9 |
| 1957 | 4818.00 | 9 |
| 1958 | 1929.74 | 9 |
| 1959 | 15577.00 | 9 |
| 1960 | 15014.93 | 9 |
| 1961 | 27269.09 | 9 |
| 1962 | 823.00 | 9 |
| 1963 | 25735.43 | 9 |
| 1964 | 2480.00 | 9 |
| 1965 | 20000.00 | 9 |
| 1966 | 66550.00 | 9 |
| 1967 | 7700.00 | 9 |
| 1968 | 5731.00 | 9 |
| 1969 | 8627.49 | 9 |
| 1970 | 51395.25 | 9 |
| 1971 | 56790.00 | 9 |
| 1972 | 120000.00 | 9 |
| 1973 | 16000.00 | 9 |
| 1974 | 27413.00 | 9 |
| 1975 | 13700.00 | 9 |
| 1976 | 9199.75 | 9 |
| 1977 | 15270.00 | 9 |
| 1978 | 3200.00 | 9 |
| 1979 | 65300.00 | 9 |
| 1980 | 10063.00 | 9 |
| 1981 | 26000.00 | 9 |
| 1982 | 6000.00 | 9 |
| 1983 | 4530.00 | 9 |
| 1984 | 26950.00 | 9 |
| 1985 | 33786.58 | 1 |
| 1986 | 40163.00 | 9 |
| 1987 | 96310.00 | 1 |
| 1988 | 427680.00 | 1 |
| 1989 | 48000.00 | 1 |
| 1990 | 71819.15 | 1 |
| 1991 | 9200.00 | 1 |
| 1992 | 177544.00 | 9 |
| 1993 | 15377.00 | 9 |
| 1994 | 146400.00 | 1 |
| 1995 | 29000.00 | 9 |
| 1996 | 157943.00 | 1 |
| 1997 | 25000.00 | 9 |
| 1998 | 24602.00 | 1 |
| 1999 | 69060.00 | 1 |
| 2000 | 234272.52 | 1 |
| 2001 | 71000.00 | 1 |
| 2002 | 499945.00 | 1 |
| 2003 | 250007.00 | 1 |
| 2004 | 119500.00 | 1 |
| 2005 | 248310.00 | 1 |
| 2006 | 207115.00 | 1 |
| 2007 | 578401.22 | 1 |
| 2008 | 102488.00 | 1 |
| 2009 | 44345.00 | 1 |
| 2010 | 44892.00 | 1 |
| 2011 | 538085.00 | 1 |
| 2012 | 298000.00 | 1 |
| 2013 | 138705.00 | 1 |
| 2014 | 255725.00 | 1 |
| 2015 | 219756.00 | 1 |
| 2016 | 188404.00 | 9 |
| 2017 | 191125.00 | 9 |
| 2018 | 435569.00 | 1 |
| 2019 | 167164.00 | 1 |
| 2020 | 204587.83 | 9 |
| 2021 | 413717.00 | 1 |
| 2022 | 5.80 | 9 |
| 9999 | 0.00 | 0 |
| NA | 2853.00 | 9 |
These tables summarize the most relevant data from the U.S. Fire Origin Points and U.S. Fire Perimeters data sets. For each state available on the former data set, their respective counties which have experienced the most fires were retrieved. The table also shows the most common fire size and causes for each state. The latter data set was grouped by the year fires occurred, and the largest total acres and common causes were logged.
Here is the map: